Blind
by Captain of L'Emeraude
Summary: Hermione is blinded in a muggle accident over the summer and it ends up changing her more than she expected. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I'm sorry I took so long to post something new... I'm a horrible person. **

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Blind

Hermione scowled at no one in particular as she got out of her parent's car and walked towards the entrance to Kings Cross Station. Already she could hear people whispering. She could all but see the people milling about, pausing for a moment to point or stare at the poor girl with the sunglasses and cane. Everyone hurried to make sure she had a clear path to her destination, and she could feel the bubble of space between her and everyone else in the area, in the station, in the world. She leaned on the bricks between platforms 9 and 10 and continued walking to board the train.

"Hermione! Are you OK?"

"Here Hermione, let me take your trunk."

"Hi, Hermione. It's Lee. Can I help you find Harry and Ron?"

The barrage of questions and offers of guidance annoyed her, but she tried to be polite in refusing everyone. They were only trying to be helpful. They didn't know how she hated them treating her like some sort of invalid. They didn't realize how degrading and condescending they were being.

"Do you need me to lead you to the train?"

The last question, asked by a third year pureblood Gryffindor who she couldn't remember the name of, made her lose control.

"Thank you, but I'm perfectly capable of getting on a train by myself. I have done it successfully more times than you have, and I have been doing it since before you were born! Now, please, get out of my way!" She started to march angrily towards the train.

The girl stepped aside, eyes wide with shock. "How did she know I was between her and the train?" She asked a fellow third year.

Hermione spun around and pointed directly at the young girl. "I'm blind, not deaf! I can hear you, and I can hear the bloody train!"

She heard the two girls run off and sighed. "So much for keeping my temper in check." She grabbed the railing of the steps leading onto the train and walked down the hallway. She was only a few meters down the train when she realized she had no way of figuring out which compartments were taken and no way of locating Harry and Ron without looking helpless to those around her.

"Oi! Hermione!" At the sound of Ron's voice, her panic receded. She turned around and smiled, hearing two sets of footsteps; she knew Harry had to be with Ron.

"Hi, Ron! Hi, Harry! How was the rest of your summer?" Harry walked forward and hugged her.

"It was great, 'Mione." She hugged him back and he could feel her suddenly tense when Ron spoke.

"Wait, how did you know Harry was with me? I thought you couldn't see anything." Hermione disentangled herself from Harry and stormed off, no longer worried about finding an empty compartment. She just needed to get as far away from Ron as possible so she wouldn't jinx his head off. Harry glared at his still confused friend as Hermione walked off.

"What did I do?" Ron scratched his head, his face the absolute epitome of bewilderment.

"I don't know Ron, but you pissed her off, and now she's mad." Harry scuffed his foot. "I don't know how she knew I was there either." They stood there awkwardly for a moment and then Harry's head snapped up. "Oh, bugger."

"What now?" Ron asked.

"Hermione can't see who is in what compartment, and she certainly can't see if she's walking into a compartment full of Slytherins!" He started walking towards the back of the train and Ron ran to catch up. Just as they were starting to really worry about where their friend was, they heard her laugh from the compartment on their left.

"Hermione! Thank goodness! Are you OK?" Harry looked her over as if expecting to see an injury of some sort.

"And why wouldn't I be OK?" She asked coldly, her eyebrows pointing downwards and her sunglasses hiding her intense glare.

"How did you manage to find a compartment? Oh. Did Neville and Luna help you?" He looked questioningly at the other two people in the compartment. Hermione opened her mouth, ready to express her outrage at his offensive question, but Luna spoke up first.

"Actually Harry, Hermione came in of her own accord. I doubt even Firey Lagenburts helped her to find her way." Ron had an inquisitive look on his face, but Harry shook his head violently. The last thing he wanted was an explanation of what exactly a Firey Lagenburt was.

"You two need to realize that I am perfectly capable of going about my every day life" Hermione stated in her most McGonagall-like voice "and if I ever need any help I will ask for it. I'm not so stupid as to risk injury because I can't swallow my pride, but I refuse to be treated like some sort of baby who can't do anything for herself!" In her fury, she had stood up and now she sat back down, grabbed a textbook from her back and opened up to a marked page.

"That book has no words! How can you read it?" Hermione's head snapped up with such a force that Neville winced.

"And how would I read it if it had words Ronald?" She removed her sunglasses to let him see the cold fury in her eyes, directed right at him. "I wouldn't be able to see the bloody words if they were there, so what does it matter that they aren't?" He stuttered. "Besides, there are words there. The book is written in Braille."

"How did you manage to learn Braille so fast, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"My aunt is blind so I've known Braille since I was six. Now please let me read!" Harry and Ron looked at each other in shock at their friend's temper, but didn't dare say anything else as they sat down. Neville asked Ron about the Chudley Cannons and soon all three boys were in deep discussion over the latest Quiddich tactics. Hermione and Luna both sat quietly reading. Hermione wasn't really reading though. She was regretting how angry she had been earlier. She would have to apologize eventually, but she was also sad that expressing her anger had felt so good. A lot of the time that they had been friends, Hermione had repressed her feelings to protect their friendship and avoid conflict. Over the past few years she had become more and more bitter; her held back comments becoming more and more sarcastic and biting. What was wrong with her?

These thoughts plagued her until she found a paragraph previously unread in her textbook that explained the generally unknown healing properties of several common garden flowers native to Britain. She started reading eagerly and the rest the train ride was peaceful, as was the carriage ride to the castle.

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**Double chocolate chunk brownies for anyone who reviews!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! Sorry this took so long! Who knew you actually had homework once school started?

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Chapter 2

"See you at lunch, Hermione!" Harry and Ron walked towards their class leaving a smiling Hermione behind in the corridor. She turned and followed the flow of the crowded hallway to the staircase and started going down. She felt peculiarly excited about her first Advanced Potions class. She knew that of all the professors at Hogwarts, Snape was the least likely to make exceptions for her. The idea of having an almost normal class experience made her rejoice. So few things were normal those days. She walked through the doorway and thanked the unknown person holding the door open.

"This year you will have a permanent seating arrangement," Professor Snape stated "and the seating chart is written on the board. You are all in alphabetical order, so don't complain if you happen to be separated from all your friends." His voice grew louder and angrier. "This is an important class, and I will not tolerate any foolishness." The students at the front of the room started milling about, finding their desks. "Miss Granger, you are assigned to the seat closest to the door in the front row."

Hermione was happy about the convenience of her seat, and the fact that she wasn't being made a spectacle of. But the softer edge to his voice when he spoke directly to her was so alien that it was disconcerting. She sat, still in a daze, and listened to the sound of a piece of chalk violently hitting the blackboard and sliding across with a faint squeak. The sound was familiar and comforting.

"The potion you will be mixing today and every day for the rest of this week is called Kapranos's Curing Tonic™. Can anyone here tell me what it does?" Hermione's lazily raised her hand. The potion wasn't in any of the school's assigned readings, so she knew no one else would answer. Sure enough, Snape's nearly inaudible sigh could be heard by anyone listening for it. "Yes, Miss Granger?" Hermione took a deep breath and began in what has become known as her 'textbook voice'.

"Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ is a semi-rare tonic used to cure sinus congestion and ear infections. It isn't very commonly known or used because, since it takes up to a month to make, usually the one in need is fairly healthy by the time the potion is ready. However," Here, Hermione's voice changed back to her normal speaking voice, "if people would just mix in ground aster, a common flower with known preserving properties, the potion could be made and kept potent for just less than a year."

"And where have these studies been proven?" Hermione swore she heard actual curiosity in his voice rather than the usual accusatory tone.

"Well, they haven't exactly been published yet, but there have been six separate tests and all were successful." She said; her confidence slightly subdued.

"Talk to me after class, Miss Granger." He walked back to his desk and sat down. "The instructions on how to make Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ are on the board. I expect you to complete steps one through seven by the end of the class today."

Hermione listened to the sound of people shuffling about for a moment before concentrating on her task. She stood up and walked over to where Professor Snape put all the ingredients that were needed for the day's activity. Instinctively, she felt for Braille markings that would tell her what ingredients were in the container she picked up. She was shocked to find that the jar was neatly labeled in Braille. She briefly wondered whether all these conveniences were coincidental, but then she focused all of her attention on completing what she had to do in the time allotted.

Professor Snape did not say anything else until the end of class. "Those of you who have finished need to bring your potions up to the front of the class. If you haven't finished, you can finish tonight during your detention." He ignored the groans of his students, most of which hadn't finished their potions. Hermione waited few minutes so those who had finished could bring their potions down and return to their seats, so she would be less likely to be in the way. Once she was sure there was no one left between her and the desk, she carried her cauldron over to the Potions Master.

The only problem was that she had discovered early on that levitating things when you can't see where they're going isn't a good idea, and the cauldron was heavy enough that she needed two hands to carry it. She made a quick decision to carry the cauldron and leave her cane at her desk rather than call attention to herself_. No point in being a nuisance_, she thought, _it's only __2.5__ meters to the desk. What could go wrong?_

Hermione was only a few steps from the desk when she slid on the wet floor where someone had accidentally sloshed his or her potion. She felt herself falling backwards and knew she was about to spill her potion all over herself, but it never happened. She found herself levitated to an upright position and never heard the distinct clunk of her cauldron hitting the ground and so assumed that her cauldron was levitated in a similar fashion.

The realization of what just almost happened and how close she came to potentially injuring herself severely sent Hermione into shock. She sat down on the floor and began to bawl. Thankfully, all the students had left the room in a hurry so there was no one in the classroom to witness her outburst. Except for Professor Snape. That thought caused Hermione to halt abruptly.

"Professor Snape?" She sniffled. "I'm so sorry, sir, and thank you for helping me." She stood up and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. A large hand pressed a handkerchief into her own smaller hand and almost caused her to start crying anew.

"I'm obligated as a teacher in this school to protect the students from harm. Try not to take it personally." He muttered as he led Hermione by the arm to a desk.

"You're being so nice, and this is all so hard. I'm supposed to be able to handle this on my own and I can't ask anyone for help because I really don't want to need it but I think I do and now I don't know who to ask because I've already convinced everyone that I'm fine and I got angry at anyone who didn't believe me so now they won't want to help me and now I'm just blabbering and I can't seem to stop crying!" She trailed off with some hiccups, sniffles and a muttered 'thank you' when Professor Snape handed her another handkerchief.

Snape waited patiently until Hermione recovered and then asked "Are you able to tell me more about those unpublished results on the improved tonic now or would you like to wait?"

"Actually, I would like to tell you about them now, and in fact, I could really use your help. You see, one has to be a Potions Master, or working under the supervision of a Potions Master to publish new potions or potion improvements and I am not a Potions Master, so if I could re-do the experiments I did this summer under your supervision, I could have them published." She could not keep the hopeful tone out of her voice.

"That would be an acceptable arrangement. Why don't I ask Professor Dumbledore about it and let you know what his say on the matter is next week after class?"

"OK." Hermione said and sniffled one more time before leaving the classroom, carefully moving her cane back and forth across the floor in front of her.

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Dessert-like food of your choice if you review! (or lasagna… I heart lasagna!)

And yes, I did name Kapranos's Curing Tonic™ after Alex Kapranos, lead singer and guitarist of the band Franz Ferdinand. 3


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